BlueFin Unleashes the BlueDog™: Controlled Cleaning & Recoverable Jet Pig for Unpiggable Pipelines
BlueFin, a GATE Energy Company, is pleased to announce the newest addition to their integrated pipeline management toolbox – ‘The BlueDog™’. BlueDog™ is a state-of-the-art pigging tool that uses a proprietary controlled jetting technique that results in a blasting action that penetrates even the hardest deposits in a flowline or pipeline while providing an option to mitigate the cost and complexity of the coiled tubing when and if intervention is deployed in early stages of blockage. BlueDog™ eliminates the bulldozing effect that occurs when using conventional pigs, often resulting in sticking and the risk of plugging a line. With BlueDog™ complementing their existing portfolio, BlueFin can now provide full-scale pipeline management in various scenarios – early intervention for pipeline remediation, solids removal, pre-cleaning for ILI tools and, most importantly, to supplement GATE Energy’s established flowline and pipeline management system.
All too often, mechanical flow assurance issues are prioritized according to production revenues. In many cases, this prioritization follows a near-total or total plugged flowline where remediation costs are significant and there is little insurance for production flow recovery. As a result of this operator demand, BlueFin challenged and committed their science and engineering teams to develop bespoke remedial solutions that are economical with moderate-to-low risks, resulting in the addition of the BlueDog™ tool to the BlueFin kit.
Deployment and retrievability are differentiators of the BlueDog™. This mechanical pig is deployed on a high tensile strength synthetic tether, allowing the recovery of the tool for multiple pig runs. The tool also mitigates the risk of excessive wear on the internal pipe surface. Other benefits include the tool and support equipment’s small footprint and the ability to deploy through multiple 3D radius bends in 4, 6, and 8” systems. The tool can also operate in conjunction with custom chemical systems and with heated fluids, which significantly improves penetration and removal efficiency.
Ducky Pugh, President of BlueFin, says, “The BlueDog™ is a near-perfect remediation tool that provides a significantly viable alternative to conventional pigging and cleaning technology. BlueDog™ provides an aspect of economic feasibility and a high success factor that aligns our interests with our clients’ in the current market condition. With the addition of this tool, we are now capable of resolving all our clients’ needs from a maintenance, mitigation and early remediation intervention standpoint. ”
BlueFin, a GATE Energy company, is a leading independent service company with a suite of project execution niches and specialty equipment, covering a full range of pipeline, process and completions services. GATE Energy is a family of companies that provide scalable, bespoke services for the energy sector including project management, engineering, commissioning, field services, operations and staffing services.
For more information on BlueFin services, please contact: Jason Foster, Director of Business Development, info@bluefin.energy, www.bluefin.energy
